The invention relates to briquettes which are useful as feed material, particularly in iron and steel making processes and, more particularly to a high carbon content briquette and process for preparing same.
The production of suitably stable agglomerates from fine or coarse particles of iron oxide for use as feed material in iron and steel making furnaces is a well-established and rapidly expanding field. Production of such agglomerates are accomplished by means of bonding particles using suitable cementing particles or binders, followed by sintering, firing and cementing procedures. Hot briquetting is a process whereby iron ore particles are agglomerated using compacting techniques and the proper combination of chemical reduction, heat and pressure. Briquettes produced using such techniques are commercially known as hot briquetted iron (HBI). The hot briquetting technique, without binders, has been successfully completed using highly metallized materials which contain from about 0.01% up to a maximum of 2% carbon. When the carbon content exceeds 2%, known compacting techniques do not provide a sufficiently stable agglomerate material.
Thus, the need exists for a process for preparing briquettes from starting material having a higher carbon content.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a process whereby high-carbon content iron particles can be agglomerated so as to provide a suitable stable briquette.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process for preparing high carbon content briquettes with no additional binders, and containing no fused slag or vitreous phases.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a high carbon content briquette which is useful as a feed material in iron and steel making furnaces, and which has excellent physical properties.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinbelow.